


Perfect Strangers

by mischiefgoddesscomplex



Category: Tasertricks - Fandom, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Darcy and Jane are BFFs, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Language, Romance, Thor and Loki get along (sometimes), inter-railing au, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-02 22:59:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2829137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mischiefgoddesscomplex/pseuds/mischiefgoddesscomplex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy and Jane are best friends who decide to take a European vacation during their Christmas break. Loki and Thor are two brothers who have just lost their father and are needing to escape life for a little while. The four of them come together in Paris under serendipitous circumstances (for the most part). From there, they board a train on a whim to explore Europe together, bracing themselves for the new experiences that come along with boarding a train with perfect strangers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I wanted to whip up a short Christmas-y/New Years-y themed story because, tis the season, and all. It'll probably only be about 3 chapters. ALSO I have not abandoned _Heartstrings_! I just wanted to write a holiday themed story while the season still applied. Consider it my gift to the fandom. I will return you to your regularly scheduled programming soon, I promise! 
> 
> Also worth noting, this AU is based off of [this graphic from tumblr](http://thor-aus.tumblr.com/post/103195203291/inter-railing-au-jane-and-darcy-take-a-flight-to). The original description posted reads: _Jane and Darcy take a flight to Paris, where they were supposed to begin their little adventure through Europe’s exciting places. They meet Thor and Loki, travelers from Oslo with similar interests in adventuring and seeing the world. Together the four of them jump aboard the train and get ready for new experiences - both good and bad, as tends to happen when a bunch of strangers get to know each other better._

____________________________________________

**December 18th - New York**

“Say cheese!”

Darcy’s mother points the camera at Darcy and clicks, blinding her daughter with the flash for the twelfth time in under two minutes. Darcy holds her cheeky, plastered grin and her stiff pose as her mom checks to see how the picture turned out. All around her, swarms of parents and their kids flowed out of the auditorium, the cold winter chill whipping through their graduation gowns. 

“One more? I’m not sure the lighting is quite right…”

“Mom! We’re good!” Darcy exclaims with exhaustion, taking off her graduation cap and shaking out her curls. 

She’d finally graduated with her degree in political science, something that was a long time coming. Sweet, sweet time was taken in deciding just what exactly she was going to major in. But when the clock was close to running out and she discovered her credits leaned more towards political science than anything else, the decision was made more or less for her.

“I’m so proud of you, Darcy,” her mother says, scrolling through the myriad of pictures on her iPhone. She gets to one of Darcy holding her diploma on stage and exclaims, “Look at you! My little baby, all grown up and entering the real world.”

Darcy rolls her eyes but smiles nonetheless, “Thanks, mom.”

A sudden tap on Darcy’s shoulder causes her to turn around, and she’s ecstatic to see her best friend in the entire world, opening her arms for a hug. 

“Jane!” Darcy cries, launching herself into the girl’s arms. 

The two had met when Darcy had needed to fulfill an internship credit her junior year, and - having missed the train on all related internships - settled working for one Dr. Foster in her astronomy lab. Darcy had expected a boring, stuffy old man cooped up in his science dungeon, so she was pleasantly surprised to see it was actually a woman no more than a few years older than her. That’s not to say they still didn’t work in a science dungeon. 

The women were hardly best friends at first sight, though. Since Darcy had no knowledge of the field, Jane had delegated meaningless tasks for her to complete. Copy papers, double check spreadsheet inputs, wipe down the white boards. For the first few weeks, the closest Darcy ever got to the stars was waiting in line for coffee at Star _bucks_. And the girls hardly spoke to one another.

Things began to change when one afternoon, as Jane was stressing out over a cosmo-related phenomenon, Darcy took a closer look at one of the pictures on her cork board. She couldn’t help but notice the oddly shaped object in the corner of the frame, and as it turned out, that was the final piece to Jane’s puzzle. That seemed to open up a floodgate of conversation between the two. More and more their topics of conversation strayed from science and steered more towards personal topics. A beautiful friendship blossomed, and the rest, as they say, is history. 

“Darcy!” Jane exclaims, pulling back and beaming at her friend, “Congratulations!” After some introductions and brief chatter, Darcy’s mother excuses herself, allowing the two girls time to catch up.

“Dude, I’m _so_ glad you could make it,” Darcy says with a groan, “I’ve been meaning to text you these last few weeks, but school was kicking my butt. I’m finally free, though!”

“No worries,” Jane says, shaking her head, “Believe me, I’ve been there, I know how you feel.”

“So, Miss Science,” Darcy says, raising an eyebrow, “How do you want to spend break? I’m pretty sure I just read that Netflix updated their streaming choices, and all of _Friends_ and _Seinfeld_ made the cut. Wanna booze it up and dedicate a week to marathoning?”

Jane laughs, unclasping her purse and digging around through the contents, “As tempting as that sounds, I think I might have a better idea.”

She pulls out a card and hands it over to Darcy, who rips open the top and looks inside, fully expecting nothing more than a congratulatory card. Instead, two plane tickets fall out - each one with Darcy and Jane’s name on it. 

“What is this?” Darcy asks, blinking in shock.

“You remember that night we got drunk in the lab last year, and we decided to throw darts on the wall map of the world?” Jane asks, and laughs when Darcy scrunches up her face at the hazy memory, “And your dart landed in France...and you said you’d always wanted to visit?” 

“Jane. Shut up. You did not.” Darcy says, looking from her friend back down to the clearly labeled Paris, France, on the tickets. 

“I did.” Jane says, hardly able to contain her giddiness now, “I mean, I hope that’s okay? You told me you don’t start your new job until January 8th, so I thought we could spend a few weeks in exploring Europe until we both start to get really busy again. And don’t worry about the money, I’ve had a travel fund set up for the longest time. And I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather travel with.”

“This is more than okay,” Darcy exclaims, “This is amazing. Jane, oh my god. Oh my _god_.”

Darcy jumps up and down excitedly, grasping Jane’s arms as the two girls burst out laughing. “We’re going to Europe, _bitches!_ ” Darcy screams at the top of her lungs, earning disapproving glares from passers-by. But the two girls are lost in their own elation, and right now, they don’t really have a care in the world.

____________________________________________

**December 20th - enroute to Paris**

“Ian?” Jane asks, leaning over the arm-rest on the airplane and glancing at Darcy’s phone.

Darcy instinctively pulls the phone closer to her chest before sighing and letting it drop to her lap. She thought Jane had been asleep. At least, she was the last time Darcy had checked an hour ago. She looks over with a guilty expression, “Maybe.”

Ian: her ex-boyfriend. The ex-boyfriend who so conveniently saw fit to get a new girlfriend not more than two weeks after their breakup. It had been a couple of months since their split, but Darcy still found herself obsessively stalking every one of his social media pages whenever she got online. Including Linkedin, until Jane informed her that the user gets a notification every time someone visits their page. And that habit abruptly stopped. But still, here she was, wasting her free airline WiFi on the fucker, letting him consume her seven hour flight from New York to Paris. 

“I know it’s hard,” Jane says, sitting up a little straighter in her seat, “But you’re on your way to spend your Christmas break traveling through Europe. And he’s stuck at home playing Xbox and wiping the cheeto stains off on his sweatpants.” 

Darcy giggles a little, feeling marginally comforted by Jane’s words. She was right, Darcy knew that. But she’d been with Ian for so long - almost their entire college career. And then, one day in mid-October, he’d come to her out of the blue with “I just feel like we’ve grown apart,” and “I need to try something more exciting.”

Apparently more exciting had been the blonde with the tiny waist and a ‘break-the-Internet’ ass from his work. Darcy didn’t have anything against the new girl except irrational sparks of jealousy. The bulk of her animosity was aimed towards the scumbag himself. And she was allowed to grieve over the end of a three-and-a-half year relationship by obsessively stalking him over social media just a little bit, right?

“Give me your phone,” Jane says, holding out her hand like an idea has just struck her.

“What? Why?” Darcy asks, squeezing it a little tighter in her hand.

“I’m erasing the temptation,” Jane says matter-of-factly, “I’ll give it back to you when our trip’s over. Or in case of emergency. But trust me…this will be good for you.”

Darcy eyes her best friend warily, prompting Jane to reach over and actually pry it out of her hand. Darcy sighs as her grip on the phone is released, and watches with longing as Jane tucks it away inside her purse. 

A crackling static comes on over the plane’s audio system just then, “Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking,” Says a female voice with the slightest French accent, “We are beginning our descent into Paris. Thank you for flying with us today. On behalf of myself and the crew I’d like to wish you all very happy holidays and new year.” 

Suddenly the thought of her phone is far in the back of her mind as Darcy presses her nose to the window. Below her she can spot city blocks of houses and apartments, all twinkling in the dusky twilight. Jane leans against Darcy’s shoulder to get a closer look herself, and she squeezes her arm in excitement. 

“You ready for Paris?” Jane asks, anticipation in her voice palpable. 

Darcy takes a lingering look at the city, spotting the Eiffel Tower glowing like a beacon in the distance, “I think the better question is: is Paris ready for us?” 

They de-board the plane, both wobbling a little as they get used to standing on two legs again. Darcy is quick to make a joke of it, making a exaggerated dancing motion with her hips, legs, and arms as she walks down the tarmac and sings out the lyrics to the “Wobble” rap. In combination with the jet-lag, it feels like the funniest thing Jane has ever seen, and the two girls are in stitches as they step foot in the airport. 

“Okay, okay,” Jane says once she catches her breath, “I’ll go grab a cab and get directions to our hotel. You wanna get our luggage and meet me on the street level?”

Darcy throws Jane a salute, “Oui, oui, capitan.” 

She has a little trouble locating the luggage carousels, but once she does, she’s glad to see she hasn’t missed their flight’s rotation. The plane ride had been chilly, prompting her to don a fuzzy, oversized sweater, but the heat In the airport seemed to be pumping at full-blast. As the luggage starts traveling down the carousel, Darcy pulls the sweater off her head, static charging her curls, and ties it around her waist. 

She spots both her and Jane’s suitcases traveling close together down the line, so she pushes her way through the crowd to reach them. With a heave, she pulls the first one off, not noticing that her sweater had gotten caught in the conveyor belt. Just as she goes to reach for the second suitcase and pull it off the line, she gets yanked backwards, landing flat on her ass. 

“Shit,” She curses under her breath, flailing around on the ground as she tries to pick herself up. Her sweater had managed to stay intact, save for a tear in the sleeve. When she finally stands up and dusts herself off, she notices a tall man with messy, shoulder-length black hair. He’s watching her in his dark hoodie and sunglasses, a twitching smirk flickering across his face.

“Yeah, laugh it up, asshole,” She mumbles, just loud enough for him to hear as she grabs the other suitcase, “Thanks for helping me out, there.”

It’s enough to wipe the smirk off his face, which is a minor comfort to Darcy’s bruised pride. She is determined to make the most of this vacation, and there is not a chance in hell this rude son of a bitch in the airport is going to ruin it for her before it’s even begun. 

________________

Loki sits with earbuds in, letting the soft instrumental music accompany the novel in his lap. With a lick of a finger, he turns the page, but instead of reading it, he lets his eyes drift to the small window of the airplane. He can see the city below them, all twinkling in its late afternoon splendor. Paris, France. A city he was long overdue in visiting.

A tap on his should pulls him out of his reverie. A petite stewardess with a blonde pixie cut is motioning for him to take out his earbuds, which he does.

“Je suis désolé, sir,” She apologizes with a French accent, “But we are landing soon, and I’ll need you to turn off your electronics.”

“Of course,” Loki smiles politely, neatly coiling the earbuds around his finger in compliance. 

The stewardess leans in a little closer, one arm on the seat back behind him, “What were you listening to?” She asks, smiling as she looks at him and bites her bottom lip. 

“Beethoven,” Loki answers politely, not indulging the flirtations.

“Oh, how…interesting,” The stewardess replies with batted eyelashes. 

“I find it to be.” Loki replies conclusively with a tight smile, not sure what exactly the stewardess was aiming at with her lack of knowledge in the subject she was trying to discuss. 

With a lost expression, the stewardess huffs a little as she continues her way down the aisle. Loki turns back to face forward in his seat, and when he does, he can sense Thor staring at him from the window seat. 

“Seriously?” Thor asks, a tone of disbelief in his voice, “You do realize she was hitting on you, right?”

“Was she?” Loki replies with mild disinterest and sarcasm, glancing down at the book in his lap. Thor snatches it away and snaps it shut before Loki even has a chance to protest. 

“She was.” Thor says, pulling the book away even further at Loki’s scowl, “And she was incredibly hot, in case you missed that as well.” 

“Not my type.” Loki replies with a shrug, folding his arms over his chest and leaning back into the seat. He closes his eyes, but Thor continues talking. 

“I’m beginning to wonder if you even have a type, brother,” Thor muses, a mix of light-heartedness in his voice. That was Thor: eternally playful and carefree. A complete night and day contrast from himself. Loki would have a hard time believing they were related had he not been reminded since infancy that he was adopted. 

Their father had pushed both boys to greatness through childhood and their young adulthood, making sure each attended prestigious English boarding schools and universities. While Thor excelled in athletics, Loki excelled in the arts. Naturally, their father was more supportive of Thor’s endeavors. 

The ever-present shadow of their father had loomed over them until last fall, when he passed away suddenly from a heart attack, orphaning the two. Loki had just graduated university on the heels of Thor, and both boys found themselves suddenly at a loss. It hadn’t occurred to them what life would be like without their father. He had become this eternal staple in their lives, for better and for worse. 

Dealing with the stress of losing him, plus all of the post-mortem affairs that needed to be handled, was really beginning to drive each brother to the brink of a full-blown meltdown. That’s when Thor came to Loki the week prior with two inter-railer tickets, beginning and ending in Paris. 

“And you thought this would be a good idea…why?” Loki had asked, sounding irate. 

“Why not?” Thor had countered, living for those spur of the moment actions. “We deserve a break after all of the shit we’ve been dealing with the last few months. And I think father would want us to be happy. Plus, you’ve always said you wanted to explore Europe.”

Loki couldn’t have turned down the offer if he wanted to (the tickets were nonrefundable), but a part of him was actually receptive to the whole idea of running away, even if it was only for a few weeks. And even if it was with his semi-insufferable brother. 

So here he was now, on a flight to Paris, about to embark on the journey that he wondered might fall under a quarter-life crisis. 

“I do have a type,” Loki grumbles defensively under his breath, causing Thor to raise a skeptical eyebrow, “Just because you haven’t seen any of my girlfriends…”

“Sure,” Thor comments sarcastically. “And how many girlfriends have you had, Loki?”

“Enough,” Loki replies nonchalantly. _One. Two, maybe,_ he thinks, lingering on the girls he’d had more than one tryst with back in boarding school and college. Did that count as a girlfriend? Having sex with a girl more than once? Surely it must count for something. 

The plane ride is short, only about three hours from their father’s home in Oslo, and soon the two tall men are ducking their heads as they walk towards the front of the plane to de-board. Loki passes by the same stewardess up by the cabin, and he jolts rather abruptly as he feels her hands slide into his hoodie pocket. 

“Call me,” She mouths, slipping a piece of paper inside his pocket. 

“If he won’t, I will,” Thor raises his eyebrows suggestively, causing the whole team of stewardesses to giggle and blush. With a sneer, Loki rolls his eyes and keeps walking, placing the sunglasses dangling from his v-neck to the crook of his nose. 

“It’s nighttime,” Thor points out, gesturing towards Loki’s glasses. 

“I am aware,” Loki replies with droll sass, marching dutifully down the tarmac. Thor just shrugs, knowing better by now than to argue about such trivial things with his little brother. 

While Thor goes to find them a cab, Loki heads down to the luggage carrousels. Despite the short flight, he’s feeling slightly agitated and tired. He hopes Thor won’t be too disappointed at his suggestion that they stay in and sleep instead of going out on their first night in the city.

The luggage has just begun its first rotation when Loki spots the woman to his right. Dark brown curls, full, luscious red lips, and just about the tightest ass he’s ever seen. Normally he’d look away, but the girl is pulling her ungodly oversized sweater off, and from behind his sunglasses his eyes are glued to her curves. 

She’s reaching for her luggage when the sleeve of her sweater gets caught in the conveyor belt, and he watches as the train-wreck unfolds: she gets yanked down to the ground, fumbling over herself to get upright again. He would have helped, really, but it all happened so fast. That doesn’t stop the little bubble of laughter inside of him from rising to his lips, though.

“Yeah, laugh it up, asshole,” She breathes in his direction, walking past him as she yanks the other suitcase off the line, “Thanks for helping me out, there.” 

Instantly the smirk disappears from his face. He had it coming - that much he knew - but never had he experienced a woman so willing to deliver the blow. What a tongue that one had. Feisty. American, too. A little part of him was taken aback from her brazen display…and a little part of him was turned on. 

Now _that_ was his type.


	2. Chapter 2

____________________________________________

**December 21st - Paris ******

“Is his brother hot?”

Darcy looks at Jane through the mirror of their small hotel bathroom as she asks the question, applying the winged tip to her cat eye look. Behind her, Jane is slipping into a black cocktail dress. 

“I never saw him,” Jane replies, “But trust me, if Thor’s brother is anything like him, you won’t have anything to worry about.”

While Darcy was busy collecting the luggage the previous night, Jane had ended up in line for a cab behind what she had called ‘a six foot tall god among men.’ And, much to her elation, the god in question spoke English and was able to translate her directions for her. She’d expected him to turn back around afterwards, but he seemed totally taken with her, and their conversation had continued up until they reached the front of the line.

“I still can’t believe your luck,” Darcy half-laughs, “Not even five minutes on foreign soil and you found a blonde babe who wants to buy you drinks.” 

“I was about to turn him down until he mentioned the brother. I wasn’t going to leave you behind.” Jane blushes, strapping on a pair of heels. 

“Well, you know what they say,” Darcy comments with a shrug of her shoulders and a sly smile, “Vive la France. Let’s do this, baby.” 

The two girls make their way to the bar, a few short blocks from their hotel. So far, Paris had been good to them. They’d spent the afternoon exploring, eating breakfast at a little cafe and going to visit the outside of the Eiffel Tower that afternoon. Darcy had to admit that the European eye candy wasn’t so bad, either. It was definitely a welcome distraction from thoughts about her ex. 

Stepping into the small, crowded bar, Darcy’s not sure how Jane’s going to find her mystery man. People are standing shoulder to shoulder, and the low thump of music wafts throughout the room. But before they can even take two steps forward, a tall, ruggedly blonde man is stepping out in front of them.

“Jane!” He greets her warmly with his English accent, taking Jane by surprise with a kiss to both cheeks in greeting. Jane is blushing like a madwoman, and Darcy has to bite back a smile at seeing her friend act so giddy.

“And you must be the friend Jane mentioned, Darcy,” He turns to Darcy extending one hand for her to shake, “I'm Thor. Follow me, my brother and I have a table in the back.”

Darcy shoots Jane an approving glance as they follow the man, leaning in close and whispering, “Shit, Jane, you did good. Like, _really_ good.” 

“Glad you approve,” Jane responds coyly, her cheeks still burning from the intimate contact moments earlier. The girls giggle as Thor approaches a table, and another man, equally as tall, stands up in greeting. 

“Jane, Darcy,” Thor begins, gesturing towards the man with slicked-back black hair, “Meet my brother, Loki.”

Darcy sucks in a tight breath as Loki shakes Jane’s hand. That tall, lean, lanky build…those broad shoulders…that unmistakable, perfectly tousled black hair. God, he was hot. But there was something else, too. She’d seen him before.

“You!” She cries, putting together the pieces just as he extends his hand towards her. The expression on his face changes as well, those green eyes of his lighting up in realization. She pulls back her hand, placing it defiantly on one hip, “You’re the asshole that laughed at me yesterday in the airport.”

“My, my,” Loki drawls with a smile, as though this coincidence is the most intriguing thing to ever happen to him, “What a small world this is.”

“Too small for me,” Darcy quips sharply, turning to look at Jane, “Come on, let’s blow this joint.”

She’s about to turn away when Loki reaches out, grabbing her softly by the wrist, “No please, do stay. That was…terribly rude of me yesterday. I apologize. I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot.”

Darcy catches both Jane and Thor exchanging nervous glances, the tension palpable in the air. Darcy wants to turn around and leave, she really does, but there’s something in the way his fingertips have settled over her pulse point, and the way his voice sounds like smooth, dark chocolate personified that makes her reconsider. 

“Loki…right?” She asks warily, sealing her fate. 

“Yes,” He smiles, the motion so fluid and stunning she’d swear he could be the poster-child for Colgate, “Please, sit.” 

A few rounds of drinks are ordered, enough to get the conversation feeling loose and fun. Both Thor and his brother take turns paying for each round, and there was no way Darcy and Jane were going to complain about that. Darcy gets the feeling they’re socializing with two men who come from serious money by the way they order the top shelf liquor without so much as a pause. 

“So, what brings two beautiful ladies like yourselves here all the way from America?” Thor asks, eyeing both Jane and Darcy over his pint of beer. 

“Surely not business, I hope,” Loki chimes in, his eyes settling directly on Darcy, burning a hole straight through her, “You seem to be more of the pleasure type.” 

Next to her, Jane giggles, and Darcy can tell she’s a little tipsy. Darcy’s cheeks flush as she holds Loki’s gaze, “Definitely pleasure. We treated ourselves to a Christmas vacation.”

“What about you two?” Jane asks, “Why are you in Paris? You sound like you’re visiting from…England?” 

“Oslo, actually,” Loki replies, “But we spent our youth in boarding schools across the English countryside. The accent is a byproduct.”

Darcy raises her eyebrows, impressed. Norwegian boys who bounced around English boarding schools in their youth? Yeah, they were definitely dealing with some well-off men here. 

“We’re also here vacationing,” Thor says, smiling at Jane, “We decided that we…deserved a little escape from life, for a while. We’re inter-railing across a few cities in Europe before heading back home.”

“Shut up,” Jane says in disbelief, eyes wide, “We were planning on doing the same thing!”

Thor beams at Jane, and then across the table at his brother, who is sporting a sly, amused smile, “You should join us. That is, of course, if you’d like to.” 

This was turning out to be too much of a good coincidence. The feeling buoys in Darcy’s chest, like fate itself is smiling down upon them right there in the middle of the crowded bar. Darcy raises her glass, proposing a toast.

“To inter-railing across Europe!” She says, clinking glasses with everyone across the table. She touches Loki’s last, his eyes lingering on hers as he tips his drink back and finishes it in one swallow. 

Darcy’s heart beats wildly in her chest, be it from the slight intoxication, the stunningly gorgeous men sitting across from her, or the crazy idea that had just been set in motion. She’s grinning as she holds the glass up to her lips, “And to meeting the perfect strangers.”

____________________________________________

**December 23rd - enroute to Prague ******

Paris had been more than amazing to both Jane and Darcy. They’d spent the next two days exploring the city together - the Louvre, a wine tasting, and visiting the Palace of Versailles. They’d even met up with Loki and Thor again to explore the catacombs on a guided tour.

Darcy and Loki found themselves walking together on the tour, and Loki was eager to impart his own knowledge about the history to Darcy. Normally she would have thought that kind of behavior to be showoff-y, but Loki really did seem passionate about the subject, which she found interesting. And Darcy thought it was actually kind of attractive the way his eyes lit up with enthusiasm when talking to her.

The simple fact was, Darcy was growing fonder of Loki every time they met. Which was fine with Jane, since she seemed to be fairly smitten with Thor. In fact, Darcy and Loki had accidentally stumbled across the two of them making out in the catacombs.

“Kind of a morbid place to swap the spit, Jane,” Darcy laughs, brining up the subject again during their train ride from Paris to Prague.

Jane chucks her pillow at Darcy, her cheeks on fire, “I couldn’t help it! It just happened! One minute I was looking down at the pamphlet, and when I looked up, his lips were right there. Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same.”

“Oh, I definitely would have done the same,” Darcy replies, wiggling her eyebrows, “Probably more.” 

“So you and Loki haven’t…?” Jane asks, letting the question hang between them.

“No,” Darcy sighs, rolling around in her bed-slash-seat, trying to get comfortable. Thor and Loki’s compartment was directly next to theirs, so she tries to keep her voice down, “It’s not that, you know, I would object. Hell, I’d climb that like a tree if the opportunity presented itself. But I’m not even sure if he thinks of me that way.”

“He definitely thinks of you that way,” Jane says with exaggeration, “I’ve caught him staring at your ass more than once.”

“But with an ass like this, who wouldn’t stare?” Darcy asks the question with the most sincerity she can muster, and the two girls dissolve into laughter. 

“Well, whatever happens, I’m glad we’re doing this,” Jane says after their laughter dies down, “It’s…spontaneous. I don’t think I’ve ever made out with a guy who wasn’t my boyfriend before. It’s fun.”

Darcy laughs again, the sound quick and quiet, “Oh, my sweet little Jane. This is good for you.”

“I just hope it’s good for you, too,” Jane responds fondly, “Goodnight, Darce.”

Darcy smiles in the dark of the train, watching the countryside whiz past her outside, the light snow glittering on the ground. She feels invincible and small, all at the same time. Like the world had been waiting for her to come out and see how big it really was. Yes, this was going to be good for her, too.

“Goodnight, Jane.”

____________________________________________

**December 24th - Prague ******

Prague was unlike any city Loki had ever been to. Of course he’d read about it in books in magazines, and seen photos online, but it was completely different in person. Also different from Paris in that it felt older, more rustic and full of ancient history. And the Christmas spirit was in full-swing when they pulled into the station on Christmas Eve.

That night the four new friends decide to explore the Old Town Square together. Twinkling lights hang above them and wooden stalls line the rows of streets, vendors selling candy and gifts and homemade trinkets. The smell of a bonfire mixed with cinnamon wafts through the air, giving the place an extra touch of magic. 

Somehow, Loki and Darcy had found themselves separated from Thor and Jane, but Loki was far from objecting. The girl had quickly enraptured him, and he’d sought out her accompaniment as often as he could during the short time they’d already had together.

She’s quick-witted and loud-mouthed, something that Loki found himself oddly attracted to. But more than that, she’s openly interested in the things he has to say. She makes him feel important. Those soft, feminine curves mixed with that intelligence and tongue of hers were making it incredibly difficult for Loki not to devour her on the spot.

And normally, he would have. He’s never had a problem attracting women before. It was, some might say, the thing he was best at. But something about this one disarms him. He’s never met a woman like Darcy Lewis. 

“Won’t you have a boyfriend at home who’s missing you this Christmas?” Loki asks as they stroll through the marketplace. 

Darcy shakes her head, “I wish I could tell you yeah, but my boyfriend and I broke up a few months ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Loki replies, though his tone isn’t very convincing. Darcy seems to notice, and there’s the slightest smile pulling up on the corner of her mouth. It might be the cutest thing Loki’s ever seen. 

“I’m not,” Darcy says, and then more quietly, “Not anymore, at least.” 

They walk past the multitude of vendors, stopping and admiring the hand-crafted pieces and homemade treats. Loki buys the two of them a small bag of roasted nuts and apple-cider, and they share it together until they come across a little open space. A small band is playing Christmas music, and a few kids are dancing around beside them.

“Shall we?” Darcy asks, extending one hand towards Loki in a dancing position. 

“Can you dance to Christmas music?” Loki asks skeptically, hesitantly, as he scrunches up his face.

“You can dance to anything,” Darcy replies, so easily Loki swears this woman has no inhibitions whatsoever. He’s smiling as she leads him, the band playing an upbeat Christmas song. More people join in as they see them dancing, swirling around each other and laughing. 

Her laugh is just about one of the most beautiful sounds he’s ever heard, rivaling the music itself. It’s infectious. And so Loki finds himself dancing to Christmas carols in Prague with a stranger. Something he could have never imagined a few days prior. And what surprises him the most is that he loves it. 

The song ends, and people are clapping for them. Darcy bows, and Loki watches her with admiration. When she turns back towards him, her breath is coming out in hot little tufts, her cheeks properly red and rosy.

“Come on,” He says, gently taking her hand and leading her away from the dance floor as a slower Christmas carol starts playing. 

They’re passing under an archway, through a little garden of Christmas trees. The spot feels oddly secluded from the rest of the Christmas festival. That’s when he feels a little resistance from Darcy and notices she’s stopped. 

“Hey,” She says softly, pointing up at the arch above them, “mistletoe.”

Loki looks up at the little garnish of red and green before looking back down at her. She’s out of breath from the dancing still, her bright blue eyes still staring up at the mistletoe in awe. She’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen right in that moment. 

He steps forward, placing a hand on the small of her back, moving so swiftly she barely has time to look from the mistletoe to him to know what he’s doing. His lips graze hers, judging her reaction as he kisses her softly. He can hear her breath catch in her throat, and the sound causes him to pause. What if she doesn’t want this?

His doubts are erased as soon as he thinks them, because then she’s pushing herself against him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and neck. And she’s kissing him back. He moves his lips against hers more fervently, noticing how she tastes like cherries and wine. It’s heavenly.

She moans a little into his mouth as he squeezes her around the waist, pressing her impossibly closer to his body, forcing her to bend against him. His other hand sweeps up into her hair, twining his fingers through her locks and gripping onto them like he’d otherwise float away. 

Just as the kiss begins to deepen, the sound of pattering footsteps causes them to break apart. A half a dozen or so children come running through the little Christmas tree garden, all whooping and screaming like children do. 

Loki can hear the bell tower chime nearby, signaling midnight and the start of December 25th. He looks down at Darcy, resting his forehead against hers. They’re both smiling and a little out of breath as he whispers very close to her mouth, “Merry Christmas.”

She kisses him softly again before pulling back, “Merry Christmas.”


End file.
